SOCIETY FOR GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY AUTUMN CONFERENCE 2011
(YO13) Anaerobe 2011: Anaerobes of the human gastrointestinal microbiota and disease
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Organizer: Sheila Patrick email
Bacteria that are obligate anaerobes are major components of the normal human gastrointestinal microbiota where they greatly outnumber facultative bacterial species such as Escherichia coli. While the phenomenal diversity of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiota was hinted at by culture from faeces, recent microbiome sequencing projects have confirmed this diversity and, along with specific labelling and microscopy, have extended our understanding of this complex ecosystem in health and disease. The central role of the normal GI tract microbiota in inflammatory bowel conditions and the complex interactions with the immune system is becoming clearer as we now have the tools to unpick the molecular details of the host-microbe interactions. In contrast, the role of anaerobic GI tract bacteria such as Bacteroides fragilis as opportunistic pathogens, causing life-threatening infection when they escape to other body sites, has been recognised since the 1890s; these infections are for the moment treatable with antibiotics and, as a result of prophylactic antibiotic cover, surgery such as cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), appendectomy and hysterectomy are generally free from post-surgical infection. A worrying development however is the emergence of multi-drug resistant B. fragilis strains able to cause fatal post-surgical infection. In some individuals, antibiotic treatment can skew the normal microbiota, such that the Gram positive spore-forming anaerobe Clostridium difficile overgrows, causing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, a major cause of mortality in hospitals. Key to tackling these infections is obtaining a molecular understanding of C. difficile virulence and phylogeny. Anaerobe 2011 will provide insights into the diversity of bacteria that are intimately associated with healthy humans but which through cause considerable human morbidity and mortality. The symposium will be of interest to gastroenterologists, medical microbiologists and scientists.
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